APHIS Regulated Garbage: Procedures for Purging Stores and the 

24-Hour Rule 

Garbage is regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal 

and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on conveyances arriving from 

foreign countries (except Canada), Hawaii, and U.S. territories or possessions 

to prevent the introduction and dissemination of pests and diseases of plants, 

livestock, and poultry. 

APHIS regulated garbage is subject to the handling requirements under Title 7 

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 330.400-330.401 and Title 9 CFR 94.5, as 

well as the surveillance and disposal methods authorized by the Plant 

Protection Act and the Animal Health Protection Act. Vessels may remove or 

“purge” their stores and garbage and then clean and disinfect, if required, to 

obtain “domestic status.” 

If there are sufficient U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or APHIS 

Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) personnel available, a vessel can be 

purged when in a U.S. port. However, a purge conducted in Hawaii or a U.S. 

territory or possession is only valid while in Hawaii or the U.S. territory or 

possession where the purge occurred. 

Scheduling a Purge to Obtain “Domestic Status” 

If the vessel has been in a foreign country (other than Canada) in the last 2 

years, the vessel owner(s) must contact the local CBP office. 

If the vessel has not been to a foreign port in the last 2 years, but has been to a 

non-continental U.S. port such as Hawaii or Puerto Rico, the vessel owner 

must contact the local PPQ State Plant Health Director’s office. To purge U.S. 

military vessels, contact the local CBP office. 

By meeting one of the following requirements, the status of the vessel will be 

considered domestic and the garbage generated onboard after the purge may be 

disposed of without being incinerated or sterilized. 

1. Vessel has not been in any port outside the continental United States and 

Canada within the previous 2 years nor has the vessel been to a noncontinental U.S. port in the last year; 

OR 

2. Vessel has disposed of all items regulated by APHIS (refer to Procedures 

for Purging on page 2) and removed all garbage from the vessel. This 

option is known as “purging”. The process is monitored by CBP or PPQ 

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APHIS Regulated Garbage: Procedures for Purging Stores and the 24-Hour Rule 

and the vessel operator will receive a CBP Form AI-288 or a PPQ Form 

288 indicating the vessel is considered to be in domestic status. 

NOTICE 

 

Once a vessel in domestic status travels to a port in a foreign country (except Canada) or to/from a port in Hawaii or a U.S. territory or possession, the vessel is no longer considered to have “domestic” status. 

Procedures for Purging 

To be recognized as a valid purge, CBP or PPQ personnel must monitor the 

purging of the vessel’s regulated stores and garbage and subsequent cleaning 

and disinfection, when required. If the vessel is a U.S. military vessel, refer to 

the 24-Hour Rule Specific to U.S. Military Vessels Only on page 3. 

1. All garbage is removed from the vessel by an APHIS-approved compliance 

agreement holder. 

2. Purging of regulated1

 items: all regulated items must be removed from the 

vessel for incineration, sterilization, or transfer to another vessel. 

3. Transfers must be done under the direct supervision of a CBP Agriculture 

Specialist. 

4. The following must be purged or transferred if the vessel has been to a 

foreign port (excluding Canadian ports) in the last 2 years.1 

A. Meat and meat products regardless of origin, except shelf-stable canned 

meat/poultry 2 3 

B. Fresh and condensed milk and cream from countries in which Footand-Mouth disease exists 

C. Fresh eggs 

D. Fresh fruits and vegetables 

5. Crew quarters and any other possible locations are also inspected for items 

that need to be purged. 

6. The purged material (including garbage) is incinerated, sterilized, or 

transferred to another vessel. 

1 0nly fresh fruits and vegetables and all garbage need to be disposed of in the routings between the 

continental U.S. (either directly or indirectly from Canada) and/or between Hawaii, U.S. possessions 

and/or U.S. territories. No disinfection of the store area is required. 

2 All canned perishable poultry material from Newcastle Disease (ND) and/or Highly Pathogenic Avian 

Influenza (HPAI) countries is prohibited and must be disposed of as RG. These materials may not 

be transferred to another vessel. 

3 Meat, poultry and other edible animal products and byproducts in a vessel's stores may be 

transferred over water from one vessel to another when permission in writing listing the items to be 

transferred is approved by CBP. The vessel's agent will also request approval from PPQ Quarantine 

Policy, Analysis, and Support (QPAS) Animal Disease Exclusion (ADE) personnel to transfer these 

commodities. The transfer will be made under the direct CBP observation. Stores must be 

transferred from one vessel onto a barge or other floating carrier, over water to the receiving vessel. 

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APHIS Regulated Garbage: Procedures for Purging Stores and the 24-Hour Rule 

7. Following disposal, all storerooms and locations which held the previously 

purged animal products and byproducts must be cleaned and disinfected or 

sanitized, as applicable, under direct supervision by a CBP Agriculture 

Specialist or PPQ personnel. Disinfection of the stores area is not required 

if the routings were solely between Canada and the continental U.S. and/or 

between Hawaii, U.S. possessions and/or U.S. territories. 

8. The Captain will be given a CBP Form Al-288 Ship Inspection Report or a 

PPQ Form 288 Ship Inspection Report with “Purged-now Domestic” 

written in the “Remarks Block”. If the purge occurs in a U.S. territory, U.S. 

possession, or Hawaii, then the “domestic” status will only be valid in the 

U.S. territory, U.S. possession, or Hawaii where the purge occurred as 

stated in the “Remarks Block”. The copy of the form is evidence of 

“domestic” status until the vessel enters a foreign port (except Canada) or 

obtains supplies from outside of the continental U.S. or Canada. 

Disinfectants and sanitizers are provided by vessel personnel. Sanitizer used 

must be a product approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA) for use in food preparation or food storage area(s). APHIS-authorized 

disinfectants must be used on garbage containers and in non-food preparation 

areas where garbage is stored or spilled. 

24-Hour Rule Specific to U.S. Military Vessels Only 

Because U.S. military vessels are typically equipped with U.S. origin stores, 

APHIS policy allows for a modified procedure, called the “24-hour rule” to 

obtain domestic status. Vessels under contract to the military, “NOAA” ships, 

or other non-military, government ships are handled as commercial vessels. 

U.S. Naval vessels with the designation “USS” followed by the name of the 

ship and Coast Guard vessels are handled according to APHIS and Department 

of Defense (DoD) requirements. Military Sealift Command (MSC) vessels are 

handled the same as U.S. Naval vessels only when the crew are U.S. military 

personnel. 

To apply the 24-hour rule, the following requirements must be met: 

The vessel must arrange for removal of all garbage on the vessel by an 

APHIS-approved handler. 

The vessel agent must contact the local CBP office to arrange for an 

inspection. 

CBP will inspect the vessel and verify all the stores are U.S. origin in the 

galley, coolers, and freezers. If regulated foreign stores are still aboard the 

vessel, refer to Foreign Regulated Stores on Military Vessels on page 4. 

Once the stores are verified, all garbage will be removed from the vessel, 

including all garbage produced in the first 24-hours. Vessel personnel will 

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APHIS Regulated Garbage: Procedures for Purging Stores and the 24-Hour Rule 

transfer custody of the garbage to an APHIS-approved regulated garbage 

handler for processing. 

CBP will document on the CBP Form AI-288 Ship Inspection Report, that 

the vessel has achieved “domestic” status through the 24-hour rule. 

Retain Form AI-288 until the vessel departs the mainland traveling to a 

foreign port (except Canada) or until arriving in a port in Hawaii or a U.S. 

territory or possession as proof of “domestic” status. Once the CBP Form 

AI-288 has been issued documenting the procedure is complete, any 

garbage produced on board is not regulated and no further action is 

required at subsequent ports (unless/until the vessel visits a foreign port 

or non-continental U.S. port and/or obtains foreign stores). 

Foreign Regulated Stores on Military Vessels 

If regulated foreign stores are still on the military vessel, the 24-hour rule 

cannot be applied. Once the foreign stores are used up or verified through CBP 

monitoring that the regulated foreign stores were offloaded or otherwise 

disposed of by an approved method, then the 24-hour rule can be applied. Until 

regulated stores are used up or disposed, garbage generated aboard the vessel is 

considered regulated while on-board the vessel or while being off-loaded as 

would occur for any other vessel arriving from foreign ports (except Canada.) 

Alignment with DoD’s Requirements

Parallel garbage handling requirements exist for military vessel operators: 

U.S. Navy: Requirement per NAVSUP Publication 486 (Revision August 

2016) 

Additional Statement: Requirement per DoD Defense Transportation 

Regulation- Part V, Chapter 505. (12 October 2021) 

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